Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2017 i Leisure Wheels

THERE I was, stranded next to the road. Deziree, the 1971 Land Rover, had died on the way to our office. Thankfully I’d made it to the pavement. Being stuck in the middle of a busy road would have been less socially pleasing. So there we were, the dead Land Rover and I. I opened the bonnet, stared at the engine, fiddled a bit and tried to start the engine. No sign of life. So I stared some more, swore a bit, tried to start it again but curiously, still no life. I swore some more. Then I took out the phone and called in the cavalry. While I was waiting for the help to arrive, I started watching the reactions of other motorists as they drove past a classic,…

A GPS navigation unit is an essential piece of equipment for any off-roader. Those who claim they travel without one are probably the same guys who brag about the fact that they did most of an off-road trail without engaging 4x4. It’s just plain stupid The introduction of GPS units for leisure use about 20 years ago made a huge difference to the way we travelled. During our first Voetspore expedition, I used a Magellan. It was a very basic unit, but those were the early stages of the GPS for the leisure market. The Magellan simply marked your route with very basic information regarding your location. For our next trip, we switched to Garmin. This early version was also uncomplicated and offered a minimum of information. In 2004, I…

The ultra-luxury Maybach brand disappeared for a while, but in 2014, Daimler announced that it would revive the marque as a sub-brand of Mercedes- Benz. Until recently, we’ve only seen a few Maybach variations on the S-Class, but now the name has been attached to a G-Class. The vehicle has also been given the Landaulet moniker, which is reserved for vehicles that have soft tops over the rear passengers’ heads. The vehicle is officially called the G650 Landaulet, and it is based on a lifted chassis of the G500 4×42, but instead of the bi-turbo V8, it has been fitted with the company’s 6.0-litre bi-turbo V12 engine, purportedly tuned for 470kW. The wheelbase has been extended by 60cm, creating more room for rear passengers, and the interior is exquisite. The…

The infamous Chapman’s Peak, snaking along the ocean with breathtaking views, is one of those ‘been there, done that’ passes in the Western Cape. Most people have done it. Visiting the region in a Fiat Fullback, I was keen to experience some alternative historical routes and passes in the area. So we aimed for Clarence Drive, Franschhoek Pass, Du Toit’skloof Pass and Bain’skloof Pass. CLARENCE DRIVE Clarence Drive (technically the R44) hugs the Cape coastline between Gordon’s Bay and Rooi- Els, a distance of around 22km. It is located near the Kogelberg Biosphere, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Considered one of the finest examples of mountain fynbos in the Western Cape, it is home to approximately 1 800 plant species, 150 of which are endemic. During the winter whale-watching season,…

Toyota Hilux 2.4GD-6 4x4 SRX Hilux #SRS BEFORE THE fight is well and truly on in the entry-level double cab segment. In recent times, Ford’s Ranger has reigned supreme in this market, with its base 2.2TDCi 4×2 models, which always seem to come with a ‘special deal’ of sorts, dominating the race. When Toyota introduced the all-new Hilux last year, the 2.4GD-6 was positioned to take the fight to the Ranger. But there was a hiccup: 2.4GD-6 double owners who wanted to upgrade the original SRX’s steel rims to populist alloys ended up with wheels that were too wide for the body. Some owners didn’t mind this stylistic challenge. Other potential clients saved a bit more for the 2.8GD-6, while others headed over to the Ford dealership and went the…

For more information on any of these tours, or to book your trip: Email: lwtravel@ramsaymedia.co.za Website: leisurewheels.co.za/travel-packages/or phone Inshaaf Amos @ Tel: 021 530 3380 NEW! PONDOLAND TRANSKEI WILD COAST (8–14 OCTOBER) Pondoland, on the Transkei Wild Coast, is one of the destinations so many people would like to visit, but know so little about, and do not want to go there on their own. It is a land of wild cattle and wilder beauty, of waterfalls plunging directly into the Indian Ocean, of colonies of vultures nesting above undisturbed forest gorges, and a beautiful rugged coastline, which boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in Southern Africa. We’ll meet in Kokstad and, over the next eight days, travel via Msikaba, Mbotyi and Port St Johns to Coffee Bay and…

Flip Stander’s working day is very different to most people. He normally catches up on sleep during the day, and works at night. And when we mean work, he tracks lion in the wild Namibian Skeleton Coast. Besides a few close calls with some of the more aggressive big cats, Stander’s big challenge is changing people’s perceptions and fears about the animal. Thing is, the desert lion population, which numbers about 150, is under threat, mostly from humans. Senseless killings of these animals have complicated his work immensely, but the eccentric researcher refuses to give up on his mission. And to think it all began decades ago when he saw a lion feed on a seal carcass. We spoke to the legendary conservationist. In what car did you learn to…

WE stare at our Land Rover Defender as it slowly sinks into the narrow river, the water level creeping up the sides of the SUV. We didn’t expect the riverbed to consist of this sort of quicksand, especially since a man carrying a bike on his shoulders crossed the stream without a problem a few minutes before. The more we attempt to dig out the wheels, the deeper the vehicle’s bottom plate sinks into the sand. Inspecting the area, none of the surrounding trees appear to be big or strong enough to be used for winching. Just as we’re about to give up, bystanders tell us that someone nearby has a tractor. Finding its owners becomes the next challenge. After two hours, he shows up, only to admit that the…

It’s a debate that rages around campfires, braais, boardroom tables, bar counters and, well, just about anywhere. It even happens in church, old age homes and in the crèche. And let’s not forget the brave soci al media warriors on internet forums. That debate is which bakkie is the fastest. Like in really, really the fastest. Obviously, there have been many attempts to determine an outcome to such a conundrum. Such attempts sometimes involve a mealie field, a farmer with a cellphone camera and two bakkies, dicing each other between the mealies. As mildly entertaining as that may be, it’s not very scientific, or decisive, at all. The launch of the latest Hilux last year added a 20-litre can of petrol to this ‘which bakkie is fastest’ fire. Clearly, there…

T he Jeep Wrangler is an iconic vehicle. It has been in production since the late 1980s and has seen four different versions. The all-new Wrangler, the JL, will be released in 2018. In this article, I’ll be looking at the JK version, which has been around since 2007. The first thing to note is that Wranglers hold their value extremely well so you aren’t likely to pick up a massive bargain. Another thing to be aware of is that the JK Wrangler is available in a lot of different configurations and specifications. Here’s a breakdown of your choices. PETROL OR DIESEL The Wrangler is available with either a petrol or a diesel powerplant. For the first few years, it boasted a 3.8-litre Chrysler petrol engine that developed 146kW of…

BUREKO 6X6 SPECIFICATIONS Engine: Land Rover TDV6 3.0 Power: 190kW @ 4 000r/min Torque: 600Nm @ 1 750r/min Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic Drivetrain: AWD (4x4), 4WD (locked) and 6x6 (locked) Driving aids: Traction control, dynamic stability control, hill descent control, hill start, gradient acceleration control, and electronic stability system Length: 5 150mm Width: 2 170mm Height: 1 850mm Approach angle: 45 degrees Departure angle: 60 degrees Wading depth: 700mm Price: From R1.9 million (excludes import costs and taxes) NEXT MONTH We take a closer look at LA Sport’s latest custom Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 double cab 4x4. Back in 2007, Bureko creator Francis Janes followed a Czech motorsport team on the Dakar rally, which back then still ran through Africa. At the time, he was driving a Hummer H2. He liked how…

IT’S PROBABLY TOO EARLY to break out the champagne, but the first month of 2017 at least gave us a bit of good news as far as new vehicle sales are concerned. For the first time in 14 months, the local car market posted positive year-on-year growth in January. According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), 50 333 vehicles were sold during the month, 3.7% more than the 48 514 vehicles sold in January 2016. An estimated 35 379 units or 70.3% represented dealer sales, 23.8% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 3.1% to industry corporate fleets and 2.8% to government. Looking at passenger cars, 36 794 units were sold, which is 1 661 (4.7%) more than January last year. Domestic sales of light…

ISUZU KB300DTEQ LX 4X4 Engine: 2 999cc, four-cylinder turbodiesel Power: 130kW @ 3 600r/min Torque: 380Nm @ 1 800r/min Gearbox: Five-speed manual 4WD system: Part-time (2H, 4H & 4LOW) Traction aids: Traction and stability control, rear_differential lock Ground clearance (claimed): 220mm Wading depth (claimed): 600mm Safety: ABS, six airbags Price: R549 800 Service plan: Five-year/90 000km The pristine tarmac road I’d been powering along on for a couple of hours went over a dip, and suddenly I had about 20 metres to scrub off 80km/h before hitting the deep potholes at the start of the gravel. The impact was so hard I was sure I’d just ripped all the wheels off but a cursory inspection of linkages and ball joints on the front end revealed that everything was still properly…

Considering that Porsche has been around for just south of 70 years, the company hasn’t been in the SUV game very long. However, the introduction of the Cayenne (15 years ago) and the Macan (three years ago) has completely altered the nature of the brand. These days Porsche is as much an SUV manufacturer as it is a sportscar one, and much of this can be attributed to the Asian and US markets. Porsche sold more than 6 200 Boxster/Caymans in the US last year, 8 901 of the 911s and 4 403 Panameras. These figures are respectable, but they’re dwarfed by Porsche’s SUV sales. The company managed to sell 15 383 Cayennes and 19 332 Macans. A SLICE OF THE PIE These figures are enough to make anyone sit…

Get involved in a conversation about the best 4×4s, and it won’t be long until some guy on the wrong side of 60 pipes up and starts telling you how the old-school off-roaders are still the best. He’ll start talking about solid axles and donkey levers and manual hubs. Inevitably, he’ll utter the sentence: “They don’t make ’em like they used to.” The statement is true, of course. They don’t make them like they used to; they make them a whole lot better these days. Generally speaking, classic vehicles are just not as quick, comfortable or even as capable as their modern counterparts. But they are cool. No doubt about it. An old-school 4×4 has an inherent coolness that the latest and greatest can’t easily match. So, the solution, it…

I WANT TO GO, TOO! Name: Three Provinces 4x4 Adventures Location: Just outside Volksrust, Mpumalanga GPS co-ordinates: S27°25’36.7” / E29°45’50.3” Accommodation: Camping and cabins are available Food: Braai facilities are available Difficulty level: 3-4/ Helshoogte: 5 Vehicle required: 4x4 with low range. Front and rear locking differentials. Good ground clearance is recommended. Price: R220 per vehicle for Three Province route, all additional routes are billed separately (contact Three Provinces for more details). Self-drive: Yes, but a guide is available at additional fee. Contact: Herman or Ronel at Tel: 082 785 8002 or Tel: 017 735 5286 Website: 3provinsies4x4.co.za The ‘road’ was more like a wet and slippery Scandinavian rally track, snaking through forests. Just driving briefly in a straight line was an achievement. Yes, the Three Provinces 4×4 trail, where…

If you’re reading this magazine, you undoubtedly know that you can improve offroad traction by deflating your tyres. But have you ever asked yourself why? How exactly is it that a drop in tyre pressure can have such a profound improvement on off-road performance? We’ll do our best to explain but before we do, here’s a caveat: we’re going to stick to the generally accepted theory. There are plenty of opinions out there; some have merit, some don’t. This, however, is the explanation that most people agree on. Normal conditions Every vehicle has a recommended tyre pressure at which it should operate. This number is not randomly selected, it is based on the weight and application of the vehicle. Most vehicles spend 99% of their time on tar, usually at…

MITSUBISHI COLT 2.8TDI DOUBLE CAB 4X4 Country of manufacture: South Africa Years available: 1998–2008 Engine: 2 835cc four-cylinder turbodiesel Power: 92kW @ 4 000r/min Torque: 292Nm @ 2 000r/min Gearbox: Five-speed manual (with transfer case) The new Mitsubishi Triton is finally here. For many, the long wait has been worth it and they’re already standing in the Triton queue, mostly because of the solid reputation of it's predecessor: the unassuming Colt. This month we take a closer look at it. The ‘Colt’ moniker has been around for a while. It has been pasted on a variety of Mitsubishi vehicles throughout the years, including hatchbacks, sedans and station wagons. But, here on local soil, the Colt was always just a bakkie. The Colt Rodeo was introduced in South Africa in 1997.…